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Whittaker, Herbert

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Herbert Whittaker

Distinguished critic born in Montreal, Quebec , in 1910 died September 9, 2006. His parents were British-born and he was raised in the Outremont neighbourhood.

He was the first national chairman of the Canadian Theatre Critics Association and founding chairman of the Toronto Drama Bench.

He studied at the École des beaux arts before becoming a stage designer. He soon was directing, particularly for the Montreal Repertory Theatre and Crest Theatre . He was appointed to the executive of the Dominion Drama Festival .

He began as radio editor and then was film, dance and theatre critic for The Montreal Gazette (1935-49) before he was invited to take the same post at The Globe and Mail (1949). By 1952 he was concentrating his critical attention more on theatre until his retirement in 1975. However, after retirement and as critic emeritus he continued to cover theatre for the Globe and Mail from New York and London and as he travelled to Russia, Greece, Israel, France, China and Australia.

He is a member of the Order of Canada and has published his memoirs, Whittaker's Theatricals and Setting the Stage.

His critical style was erudite, yet without pretension, and gentler than many other critics.

Further reading: Establishing our boundaries: English-Canadian Theatre Criticism. Ed. Anton Wagner. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1999.

Last updated 2009-09-15